JP2010175390A - Temperature sensor - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To accurately detect the temperature of an object to be measured while lowering the effects of the temperature of external air. <P>SOLUTION: A temperature sensor 1 includes a temperature detection part 3 adhered to the surface of the object to be measured for detecting the surface temperature of the object to be measured and converting it into an electric signal; lead wires 4a and 4b connected to the temperature detection part 3 for transmitting an electric signal converted by the temperature detection part 3; and a pad part 5 made of a heat insulation material for covering the temperature detection part 3 and part of the lead wire 4a and holding them in between with the object to be measured. The lead wire 4a arranged between the pad part 5 and the object to be measured is curved and arranged in such a way as to follow a route longer than the linear distance connecting the temperature detection part 3 to the edge of the pad part 5. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a temperature sensor.

  Conventionally, in order to maintain the liquid temperature such as Ringer's solution stored in a flexible resin bag such as an infusion bag at a use temperature of 37 ° C. ± 3 ° C., the detection part at the tip of the lead wire is brought into close contact with the surface of the resin bag, A temperature sensor that measures the temperature of a liquid is known (for example, see Non-Patent Document 1).

“Thermistor Probe”, [online], Nikkiso Thermo, [Search January 9, 2009], Internet <http://www.nktherm.com/products/tm_probes/400_700series.html>

  However, since the temperature sensor of Non-Patent Document 1 causes the detection unit to be in close contact with the surface of the resin bag, the heat of the liquid conducted through the resin bag can be detected by the detection unit, but connected to the detection unit. There is an inconvenience that it is affected by the outside air temperature through the lead wires. That is, since the heat of the outside air is conducted through the lead wire, the more the outside air temperature is different from the liquid temperature, the more the temperature detected by the detection unit is affected by the outside air temperature, and the accuracy is lowered. There is an inconvenience.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a temperature sensor that can accurately detect the temperature of an object to be measured while suppressing the influence of outside air temperature.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides the following means.
The present invention provides a temperature detector that is brought into close contact with the surface of the object to be measured, detects the surface temperature of the object to be measured, and converts it into an electrical signal, and an electric device connected to the temperature detector and converted by the temperature detector. A lead wire for transmitting a signal; and a pad portion made of a heat insulating material that covers the temperature detection portion and a part of the lead wire and is sandwiched between the lead wire and the device under test. A temperature sensor is provided in which a lead wire arranged between and a curve is curved so as to follow a path longer than a linear distance connecting the temperature detection unit and an edge of the pad unit.

  According to the present invention, the temperature detection unit covered by the pad part and a part of the lead wire connected thereto are brought into close contact with the surface of the object to be measured by the pad part. Some are heated by the heat of the object to be measured. Since the lead wire in the portion close to the temperature detection unit is arranged in a temperature state substantially equal to that of the temperature detection unit, the influence of the outside air temperature can be reduced.

  On the other hand, the lead wire disposed outside the edge of the pad portion is cooled or heated by the outside air temperature. When the temperature difference between the temperature of the object to be measured and the outside air temperature is large, the temperature of the lead wire in the part covered by the pad part is the outside air temperature conducted from the lead wire arranged outside the pad part. The temperature of the object to be measured falls or rises due to the influence of.

  In this case, according to the present invention, the lead wire of the portion covered by the pad portion is curved so as to follow a path longer than the linear distance connecting the temperature detection portion and the edge of the pad portion. Accordingly, the length of the lead wire covered with the pad portion and in close contact with the object to be measured is increased. Thereby, the temperature gradient along the length direction of the lead wire of the part connected to the temperature detection unit can be made gentle, and the temperature detection unit can be hardly affected by the outside air. As a result, the temperature of the object to be measured can be accurately measured.

In the said invention, it is preferable that the said lead wire is arrange | positioned at the spiral shape so that the said temperature detection part may be surrounded.
By doing so, it is possible to insulate with a relatively small pad portion by disposing a relatively long lead wire portion connected to the temperature detection portion in a relatively narrow region around the temperature detection portion. Therefore, it is possible to improve the temperature measurement accuracy of the object to be measured by reducing the influence of the outside air temperature received by the temperature detection unit. Further, since the pad portion is configured to be small, the entire lead wire covered by the pad portion can be brought into close contact with a flexible object to be measured such as a resin bag, and the measurement accuracy can be further improved.

Moreover, in the said invention, the said lead wire may meander between the said temperature detection part and the edge of the said pad part, and may be arrange | positioned.
By doing in this way, the part of the comparatively long lead wire connected to a temperature detection part can be arrange | positioned in a comparatively narrow area | region, and it can insulate with a comparatively small pad part. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the influence of the outside air temperature received by the temperature detection unit and improve the temperature measurement accuracy of the object to be measured. Further, since the pad portion is configured to be small, the entire lead wire covered by the pad portion can be brought into close contact with a flexible object to be measured such as a resin bag, and the measurement accuracy can be further improved.

Moreover, in the said invention, the said temperature detection part and a part of said lead wire may be arrange | positioned on the flexible substrate.
By doing in this way, a temperature detection part and a part of lead wire connected to this temperature detection part can be integrally comprised by a flexible substrate, and manufacture and handling can be made easy. In addition, the lead wire can be made thin, and the response time can be shortened to detect the temperature change quickly and accurately.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to accurately detect the temperature of an object to be measured while suppressing the influence of outside air temperature.

It is a perspective view which shows the temperature sensor which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a front view of the resin bag which shows the state which measures the temperature of the liquid stored in the resin bag with the temperature sensor of FIG. (A) It is a graph which shows the temperature gradient along the length direction of the lead wire in the temperature sensor of FIG. 1 in comparison with the temperature gradient when the lead wire in the pad part is arrange | positioned linearly (b). It is a perspective view which shows the 1st modification of the temperature sensor of FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the 2nd modification of the temperature sensor of FIG.

A temperature sensor 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
As shown in FIG. 2, the temperature sensor 1 according to the present embodiment is brought into contact with the outer surface of a resin bag (measurement object) 2 such as an infusion bag in which a liquid such as Ringer's solution is stored. This is a medical temperature sensor 1 that detects the temperature of a liquid.

As shown in FIG. 1, the temperature sensor 1 includes a temperature detection unit 3 that is brought into close contact with the surface of the resin bag 2 and detects the surface temperature of the resin bag 2, and a lead wire connected to the temperature detection unit 3. 4a and 4b, and a pad portion 5 made of a heat insulating material covering the temperature detecting portion 3 and a part of the lead wires 4a.
The temperature detection unit 3 converts heat conducted from the liquid inside through the resin bag 2 into an electric signal.

  The lead wires 4a and 4b transmit the electrical signal converted by the temperature detection unit 3, and are connected to a temperature control device (not shown) disposed outside. The lead wire 4a is arranged in a form in which a portion extending from the end connected to the temperature detection unit 3 to a predetermined length range is wound around the temperature detection unit 3 in a spiral shape.

  The pad portion 5 is made of a heat insulating material having elasticity, such as urethane rubber, and has a flat surface 5a formed in a substantially square shape, and the temperature detecting portion 3 and the lead wire 4a are spirally formed on the flat surface 5a. A portion is arranged and the flat surface 5a is pressed against the surface of the resin bag 2. As a result, the temperature detection unit 3 and the spiral portion 6 of the lead wire 4a are sandwiched between the surface of the resin bag 2 and the pad unit 5, and these are in close contact with the surface of the resin bag 2 and also insulated from the outside air. It is supposed to be.

The operation of the temperature sensor 1 according to this embodiment configured as described above will be described below.
In order to measure the temperature of the liquid in the resin bag 2 using the temperature sensor 1 according to the present embodiment, the temperature detection unit 3 and the spiral portion 6 of the lead wire 4a connected to the temperature detection unit 3 are flat. The flat surface 5a of the pad portion 5 disposed on 5a is pressed against the surface near the bottom of the resin bag 2 as shown in FIG.

  Since the spiral detection part 6 of the temperature detection part 3 and the surrounding lead wire 4a is arrange | positioned in the comparatively narrow pad part 5, also with respect to the to-be-measured object which deform | transforms like the resin bag 2, it is the whole. Can be adhered to. Further, since the pad portion 5 also has elasticity, it is elastically deformed following the curved shape of the outer surface of the resin bag 2 so that the temperature detecting portion 3 and the spiral portion 6 of the lead wire 4a are formed on the surface of the resin bag 2. It can be adhered.

  The heat of the liquid in the resin bag 2 conducts the resin bag 2 in the thickness direction and reaches the outer surface of the resin bag 2. Since the temperature detecting portion 3 and the spiral portion 6 of the lead wire 4a connected thereto are brought into close contact with the outer surface of the resin bag 2 by the flat surface 5a of the pad portion 5, it is heated by the heat of the liquid in the resin bag 2. Is done. On the other hand, since the pad portion 5 is made of a heat insulating material, the temperature detecting portion 3 and the spiral portion 6 of the lead wire 4a connected thereto are thermally insulated from the outside air.

  In this case, since the temperature detection unit 3 is disposed substantially at the center of the pad unit 5, the temperature detection unit 3 is farthest from the edge of the pad unit 5 and is hardly affected by outside air. Moreover, since the lead wire 4a connected to the temperature detection unit 3 extends outward from the edge of the pad unit 5 after spirally circulating around the temperature detection unit 3, as shown by a chain line in FIG. Compared with the case where the lead wire 4c extends outward from the temperature detection unit 3 to the edge of the pad unit 5 through the linear path, it extends outward from the edge of the pad unit 5 through a sufficiently long path. ing.

  As a result, even when the lead wire 4b of the part arranged outside the pad part 5 is cooled or heated under the influence of the outside air temperature, the temperature detection part 3 is transferred from the edge of the pad part 5 to the temperature detection part 3. Since the length of the lead wire 4a is sufficiently long, the heat of the outside air can hardly reach the temperature detection unit 3 via the lead wire 4a.

This will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 3 shows a case where the temperature detection unit 3 is thermally insulated by the pad portion 5 having the same size, and (a) the lead wires 4a and 4b have a spiral portion 6 in the pad portion 5 (indicated by a solid line in the figure). And (b) when the lead wires 4c and 4b extend linearly (shown by broken lines in the figure). It is the graph which compared the temperature change along 4c.

  In FIG. 3, the temperature of the liquid in the resin bag 2 is 37 ° C., and the outside air temperature is 20 ° C. According to FIG. 3, in any case, the temperature of the lead wires 4 a to 4 c is highest in the vicinity of the connection portion to the temperature detection unit 3, and is increased by the heat from the resin bag 2 as the distance from the temperature detection unit 3 increases. The temperature gradually decreases in the heated and heat-insulated pad portion 5, and rapidly decreases outside the pad portion 5 without heat insulation and heating.

In this case, in the case of (a) having the spiral portion 6 inside the pad portion 5, the temperature gradient of the lead wire 4a connected to the temperature detecting portion 3 is the temperature detecting portion 3 and the pad portion. 5 is sufficiently smaller than the temperature gradient of the lead wire 4c in the case of (b) arranged in a straight line following the path connecting the edge of 5 with a linear distance.
Therefore, according to the temperature sensor 1 according to the present embodiment, the temperature detection unit 3 is hardly affected by the heat of the outside air conducted through the lead wire 4a, and the measurement result is suppressed from fluctuating due to the outside air temperature. Thus, there is an advantage that the temperature of the liquid in the resin bag 2 can be accurately detected.

In the present embodiment, the temperature detection unit 3 is arranged at the approximate center of the pad unit 5 and the lead wire 4a is arranged in a spiral around the temperature detection unit 3. Instead, the temperature detection unit 3 is shown in FIG. As described above, the lead wire 4 a may be arranged to meander between the temperature detection unit 3 and the edge of the pad unit 5. Also by doing in this way, the temperature gradient along the longitudinal direction of the lead wire 4a connected to the temperature detection unit 3 can be made sufficiently gentle, and the detection accuracy can be improved by suppressing the influence of the outside air temperature. it can.
In addition to the meandering form, the lead wire 4a disposed in the pad portion 5 may be curved in another arbitrary form.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 5, the temperature detection unit 3 and the lead wire 4 a connected to the temperature detection unit 3 are configured by a pattern of the flexible substrate 7, and the flexible substrate 7 is attached to the flat surface 5 a of the pad unit 5. Good. By setting it as the flexible substrate 7, the spiral part 6 and the temperature detection part 3 can be comprised with a sufficiently thin pattern rather than the lead wire 4a by a conductive wire. As a result, there is an advantage that responsiveness to temperature change can be improved and sensitivity to temperature change can be improved. Moreover, by comprising with the flexible substrate 7, there exists an advantage that operativity can be improved and manufacture and handling can be made easy.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the resin bag 2 is illustrated and described as the object to be measured, but instead, it is applied to temperature detection of any other object to be measured that is easily affected by the outside air temperature. Also good.

1 Temperature Sensor 2 Resin Bag (Measurement Object)
3 Temperature detection part 4a, 4b, 4c Lead wire 5 Pad part 7 Flexible substrate

Claims (4)

A temperature detector that is closely attached to the surface of the object to be measured, detects the surface temperature of the object to be measured, and converts it into an electrical signal;
A lead wire connected to the temperature detection unit and transmitting an electrical signal converted by the temperature detection unit;
A pad portion made of a heat insulating material that covers a part of the temperature detection portion and the lead wire and is sandwiched between the object to be measured, and
A temperature at which a lead wire disposed between the pad portion and the object to be measured is curved and disposed so as to follow a path longer than a linear distance connecting the temperature detection portion and an edge of the pad portion. Sensor.   The temperature sensor according to claim 1, wherein the lead wire is arranged in a spiral shape so as to surround the temperature detection unit.   The temperature sensor according to claim 1, wherein the lead wire meanders between the temperature detection unit and an edge of the pad unit.   The temperature sensor according to claim 1, wherein the temperature detection unit and a part of the lead wire are disposed on a flexible substrate.

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